What a fabulously enthusiastic response! This is encouraging, but, as an american living in Brockley, I approach this news with a note of caution.. What exactly do we mean by "deli"? Are we talking about something like the Doorstep bakery? (please say no! that can't be what has you all so excited..) The closest thing that I would identify as a deli in London would be something like the counter at Carluccio's.. though this is too posh to be truly useful. Or, there's a *wonderful* real-deal, old-fashioned italian place in Maze Hill..

That is absolutely fantastic news (if it is a proper deli, that is) -we must all use it as much as possible. There was once a really lovely Italian deli near the Brockley Jack up unitl about 7 or 8 years ago, and they closed because they just weren't used enough.

PS: the Italian deli in Lewisham is good. Extremely good for some things, like wonderful mozarella

Brockley used to have a fantastic deli, for years, in the little parade of shops opposite Moonbow's. The guy who owned it was one of the most food-knowledgeable people I've ever come across. Sadly missed.

Meanwhile, Honor Oak Park has a rather good deli, run by a very nice local man. Charges a bit too much, I think, but it can't be easy. He's also got an arrangement with Peter the butcher in Crofton Park, selling good quality meat when Peter's shop is closed - a nice example of local traders co-operating.

Talking of the Brockley Cross development that never was. Does anyone have info on the ACQ Architects plans for the regeneration that is/was planned? Their website has a diagram of which buildings will be developed, but I haven't heard anymore

I second that Nick, we saw the name 'Doorstep Bakery' and thought that it would surely be a great place to find a wide variety of tasty and healthy fresh breads - no, once inside it pretty much white bread city and not even the crusty type.

Again, unfortunately, I have to report that there was a very good bakery and cake place down Brockley road (more towards the Homeview end) which again closed a few years back - we've had 2 delis and at least one bakery that have closed. Someone is probably going to say something like 'they probably didn't have a good business plan', which will make me very angry for rest of day. In fact the real reason is everyone went to Sainsbury's.

The bakery up the road survives, as do lots of not paticually good little shops dotted around. within 2 minutes of lewisham way there is a premier store, a corner shop, another jamaican grocers, a gogi's, a large supermarket of no known name (referred to as the chinese supermarket), another small store and a costcutter. 10 minutes walk away is a HUGE Sainsbury's and yet they sirvive.

Lot's of people in here want a deli. being negative isnt helping anyone. We all want Brockley to thrive. Lots of people in here want a deli and are actually EXCITED about it.

Not sure who is being negative. I am really excited about it and said right at the top of this thread "That is absolutely fantastic news ". My later comments were a warning that we have had some delis and other shops in Brockley in the past that were really good have closed because they were not that well used - and I hope that if the new deli comes we will use it ... or may lose it, as per the others

I honestly beliebe that if the shop is good, if it looks great, is an asset to the area and has a great product people want at a good price...people will talk about it and people will use it. I have worked with lots of businesses both at home and abroad, large and small and it's incredible how many just don't 'get it', offer laclustre service etc.

Look how many people here don't like the doorstep bakery (and yet it always seems quite busy).

Supermarkets are successful because they found out what people want. Small businesses have suffered because they haven't, or haven't worked out how they can compete.

You work out what people wan't, you don't just ask them. Henry Ford once said 'if I asked what people wanted, they would have said 'faster horses'.

I hope these deli people are reading these forums because there is a lot of opinion to digest and take on board. i wish them well, and I hope for our sake, for brockley sake they get it right. La Broca has, toads mouth has. It's not rocket science.

I agree with you to an extent. I'm someone who uses a whole range of places from big supermarkets to hedgerows for my food, but mostly use local places (local hedgerows!).

I don't have strong feelings about what places are better than others, there is room for a whole range of different types of shops. I am probably just more cynical than you about how much use people actually make of local shops even when they are excellent - I know people who make a big noise about shopping locally and actually do 99% their shopping in Waitrose with the occasional trip to buy chutney jar in a farmer's market. That isn't being anti-supermarket: I use them too cos lots of local shops are useless, but it is only wtih hindsight and experience I realise how lazy some of my past shopping habits have been.

There are all kinds of reasons why places succeed and don't. Sometimes good places try formulas that they see other places adopting successfully and that is how sokme establishements end up conforming to a rather bland and homogenised pattern. Is that success ?

I agree spincat.Supermarkets are in many respects the domain of the car. It's not easy lugging carrier bags on a bus. Having GOOD local shops is great if you are like me and only have an oyster card to get your around. I am bored of tesco etc. I, like many people love places like Borough market. But its almost impossible for me to get to. I have spent some time in the USA and local shops are REALLY good at this and help develop a sense of community. Supermarkets in the USA are in general TERRIBLE, way way behind the UK (and actually more expensive).

The BCAG could get a team together to actively help small local businesses compete with the big boys and offer advice for what local people want with surveys etc to become a mine of free information for people who want to start these sorts of businesses.

I agree with Leenewham and Spincat. If our new phantom deli is going to succeed they are going to need to rely on the brockley community for support but also they are going to need to run and structure their shop well. As much as we want to help our local stores, no one can if they start in the wrong direction.

The question they need to answer before they open is 'What kind of deli does Brockley need?'

Hmmm, intriguing. Nick said that this new deli would be in the perfect location. Now, the perfect location IMHO would be the Homeview shop, but I'm guessing the betting shop man has not changed his mind and that the perfect location in the opinion of Nick would be the row of shops by the station where Broca is, or the vacated Pavilion shop?

In terms of giving people what they want, I'd like to add that this doesn't just extend to the stock. It also means opening hours. I find it so frustrating when local shops and services close before I get home from work. I know that for small businesses, the cost of evening staffing can be really difficult to bear. But if this deli is to succeed then one of the most important things for me will be that I can walk in there straight off the evening train home, and buy stuff. If it's closed by 7pm then I won't use it much, simple as that.

Bring on the B Deli.. maybe it will have seats to sit in or is it purely a food counter type operation? In any case i just hope they sell nice food and its well presented - both internally and externally. I agree with the previous comment that opening hours need to meet the needs of the weekly 8am to 7pm commuter. Good luck to them if they read this and thanks for investing in SE4.

A free cash machine, for definite. If I recall correctly, Nick tracked down the problem as being that the national banks think there is one here already - somewhere totally random in the middle of a residential street, I think. So perhaps we could start a campaign to change that -to start with, we could all send them photographs of the spot in question to demonstrate that it's an ordinary house, and not the location of a cash machine ...

Great. In regard to the deli (something many residends will welcome) can you at least tell us if its general location is going to be the Brockley station end or more towards Croften Park?? and are we talking weeks/months/next summer??

I don't know if my posts are invisible to the reader, but I believe I already said that the deli is going to be sited just outside Brockley Station, one along from La Broca.Does anyone think there is a need for a wine bar?(Answers please.)

Dear "Anonymous, Answers Please"Your Post are not invisible.You seem to have some inside information at your finger tips and are very sure about this unannounced deli rumour. I'd love to have your sources. You also seem very keen for answers. Are you planning something?

PS. I would rather a Gastro pub than a wine bar.

PPS. I always thought it was called 'The Broca' Should I replace the 'The' with a 'La' when I refer to it?

A wine bar with the rustic charms of gordons on Embankment woudl be great..small with an outside area and tasting evenings for those of us who want to know more. Like up with a restuartant to have 'wines of the wook' perfectly matched with particular dishes.